


George Crackernuts and the Fairies of the Hill of Lok

by Lorca_McAlias



Category: Nancy Drew - Carolyn Keene
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Animal Transformation, Cunning Woman Nancy Drew, F/M, Fae & Fairies, Fairy Tale Retellings, Groac'h of the Isle of Lok Elements, Kate Crackernuts Fusion, Witch Curses, Witch Nancy Drew
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:08:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27127672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lorca_McAlias/pseuds/Lorca_McAlias
Summary: Back in the days when magic was more easily found, Bess and George are still what one might call "ordinary townsfolk". That is, until Bess gets cursed, and the cousins run away together. But the castle they come to has its own problem with curses.A Kate Crackernuts fusion that goes just a little bit off the rails.
Relationships: George Fayne & Bess Marvin, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Kudos: 1





	George Crackernuts and the Fairies of the Hill of Lok

Once there were two sisters who married and went their separate ways. But when the lean years came and money was tight, they moved back in with each other for to save on rent and other costs. One had a daughter, George, and the other had one also, named Bess. And while the girls themselves didn't let it bother them, Bess, who brushed her hair one hundred times every night with a boar-bristle brush, was the sort of young lady the people of the town wanted their daughters to emulate, while George, who kept her hair from tangling by cutting most of it off, was not.

George's mother also heard this talk, and unfortunately she did let it bother her. But to her credit she didn't try to make her daughter change who she was. Instead, she sought out Brenda of Carlton for advice on how to make people speak ill of Bess.

“It's easy,” said Brenda, “I'll start a rumor that she's pregnant.”

Well, not only did Brenda start the rumor, she arranged for large numbers of odd vegetables to be delivered to the house, suggesting someone there was experiencing cravings. But the rumors got a bit muddled, as rumors do, and soon George was asking her mother why her age mates seemed to think she had a baby brother or sister on the way.

“No worries.” said Brenda. “I'll start a rumor that Bess has been seen with all the boys in town.”

But the people, on hearing these rumors, quickly started thinking Bess must've started seeing one boy and everyone was just confused as to who it was.

“Perhaps we're overthinking this.” said Brenda. “People like Bess because she's pretty. Send her 'round here and I'll fix that.”

So the next morning George's mother sent Bess to Brenda's to get some eggs. While there, she saw a pot boiling on the fire.

“What's in the pot?” asked Bess.

“Lift up the lid and you'll see.”

So she did, and as the steam sprang from the pot Bess's head fell off and a sheep's head sprung up in its place.

Well, when she came back like that George immediately guessed what had happened. She didn't stop to consider that in their home the adults who wanted Bess looking like a sheep were outnumbered three to one, but wrapped her dear cousin's head in bandages and together they went out into the world. Within a day they came to a castle where there lived a lord and his lady and their two sons, Burt and Dave.

“I know it's canon,” you might protest, “but Burt and Dave hardly have any personality.” No worries, neither did the lord's sons.

But what Burt lacked in personality, he made up for in mystery. Lately he was getting fatigued, so much so that he had to stay in bed all day, and none of the doctors could tell why. Which wouldn't be too odd, all things considered, since there's a fair amount doctors don't know even now, and back then they knew a bit less. But anyone who tried to sit up with him would disappear, and never be seen or heard from again. So the boy's parents had offered a peck of silver and a peck of gold to any who would try anyway. Now George was a brave girl, so she accepted right away.

Till midnight all went well. As twelve o'clock rang, however, the sick youth rose, dressed himself, and slipped downstairs. George followed, but he didn't seem to notice her. Then Burt went to the stable, saddled his horse, called his hound, jumped into the saddle, and George leapt lightly up behind him. Away rode Burt and George through the greenwood, George, as they pass, plucking nuts from the trees and filling her apron with them. They rode on and on till they came to a green hill. The youth here drew bridle and spoke, "Open, open, green hill, and let the young lord in with his horse and his hound," and George added, "and his lady behind him." 

Immediately the green hill opened and they passed in. Burt entered a magnificent hall, brightly lighted up, and many beautiful fairies surrounded him and led him off to the dance. Meanwhile, George, without being noticed, hid herself behind the door. There she saw Burt dancing, and dancing, and dancing, till he could dance no longer and fell upon a couch. Then the fairies would fan him till he could rise again and go on dancing. 

She saw a fairy baby playing with a wand, and overheard one of the fairies say: “Is it wise to let the little one play with the wand?”

“No worries.” answered another. “Three strokes of that wand will break any curse, but it cannot be used to harm.”

'Bess and Burt could both use such a wand.' thought George to herself, and as soon as the other fairies' backs were turned she leapt out from behind the door to grab it. But the fairy baby gave a shriek, and soon George found herself surrounded by angry fairies. She fought and struggled and cussed, and caused such a scene that even Burt stopped to stare at her, and for a moment his eyes seemed clearer than they had been.

Now, let's take a few steps back. At the town which Bess and George have long since fled, Brenda was not the only … cunning woman? Witch? Well, both Brenda and Nancy went to church and had not made pacts with the devil, so it depends a bit on which definitions of those words you go by. At any rate, there had lived there a young lady named Nancy who also – knew things. And Nancy had given Bess and George silver bells by which the cousins could know if the other was in danger and where they were.

Soon after George was caught by the fairies, Bess' bell started ringing. Bess held her bell in her fist to muffle the sound, and slowly crept through the house. The last thing she wanted was to just run head-first into whatever had gotten George. To her surprise, the bell led her outside. She followed it into the deep, dark woods, full of bears and wolves. Not that Bess had seen any bears and wolves, mind you, but she was sure they were there somewhere. As it was starting to get light out she came to a hill. She tried going over or around the hill, but the bell didn't like either of those. Suddenly the hill opened up, and out rode Burt on his horse. Bess ran after him as best she could, and found her way back to the manor. There she attempted to tell Burt and Dave's parents what she'd seen.

“Our son must be enchanted by the fairies.” the mother said. “Tonight we'll tie him to his bed with chains of iron, and you dress like him and go in his place. Surely the fairies will not recognize you with your face bandaged up like that.”

Bess tried to refuse, but then her hosts threatened to kick her out onto the streets, and Bess didn't much like the prospect of wandering the world on her own and with the head of a sheep either.

When Dave heard of this plan, he was none to pleased.

“We can't send this sweet maiden out there against her will!” he said. “Let me dress in my brother's clothes, cover my face and go to the fairies.”

“We shall do no such thing.” his father replied. “Fairies are dangerous. They can steal a person's soul, or their health, or years off their life. They can drive a person mad, or give them the shape of a beast. We are already losing one son to the fairies, and will not risk losing another.”

This did not make Bess any more enthused about the coming night.

At midnight Burt began to struggle against his chains, signaling that the time had come. Reluctantly Bess donned the young man's clothes and got on his horse, and followed the bell to the green hill. She hid the bell in a pocket stuffed with wool, so the fairies wouldn't hear it. The hill did not automatically open for her, so she figured perhaps she had to say something.

“Er...here I am, please open the hill for me?”

Surprisingly, this worked, and the fairies led her to the ballroom where she danced and danced until Bess was pretty sure that was all they were going to do. She really should start looking for George.

“Excuse me, I...need to go use the bathroom.” she said. The fairies looked at her in shock, and Bess was pretty sure she'd messed up. Then one fairy said “Very well.” and Bess slipped off. She followed the bell to a room with a large cage filled with birds. All the birds looked up when they saw her, but one magpie flew at her, and then swooped down and tried to reach down through the bars of the cage. On the ground laid George's bell. On a whim, Bess unlocked the cage. Most of the birds came flying out, but some lagged behind in the cage. The magpie landed on Bess' shoulder for a moment and then completely ignored Bess and the bell to go play with a stick. Bess was disappointed, until the magpie managed to hit herself with the stick three times and then there stood George.

“Hi there, cousin.” George said, and tapped Bess with the stick three times, and the sheep's head fell off and Bess got her own lovely head back. She then used the stick to turn all the other birds back into people, and together the lot of them climbed on top of the cage and dug themselves up out of the hill. They then marched back to the manor house, where George tapped Burt with the wand and he regained his health. His parents were much impressed by this, but were reluctant to give George her full payment since she hadn't sat up with him the full night. Many of the people Bess and George had freed from the birdcage had also tried to sit up with Burt, and likewise wanted some sort of payment, but they were all denied. Then George said “Hey, there's a whole crowd of us and just two of them. Let's go raid the treasury!”

And the cousins set out into the world again, this time with more funds and no curses.


End file.
